Apparatus for sealing waxed papers.



R. FRIEND.

APPARATUS FOR SEALING WAXED PAPERS. APPLICATION FILED 00121, 1913.

\,114,744. I Patented 0dt.27,1914 I 2 BHEBT8-SEEET 1.

R. FRIEND.

APPARATUS FOR SEALING WAXED PAPERS.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.1 1913,

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

'4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

(RA/u 20%wsa5 machine has'been in operation a short time, cooled and then discha to congeal the melted wa the end portions tendin I and the cold surface UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOWELL, massacnnsnrrs.

Bonnier FRIEND, or

armaaros roe SEALING waxnn PAPERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

' Application filed October 1, 1913. Serial No. 792

break the joint formed between the outside of the folds and the surface of the cooling means tends also to break the joint formed between the inner portion of the folds and the end of the package. The result has been that when such package leaves the machine the sealing has been so improperly .performed that upon the slightest handling of the package the folds become loosened and resume their original position.

The present invention contemplates a construction wherein the heated portion is not only separate from the cooling end, but all friction between the folds and the cooling trough is eliminated, with the result that the work of sealing the package is not only more expeditiously performed, but also results in a more perfect scaling. This is accomplished by constructing the cooling end of the machine in such manner-that the pressure exerting means come into contact with each package intermittently. The ntil it is sufficiently rged; whereupon that means whi h retained ed to cool iutil it is contact with another To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT FRIEND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and vState of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Sealing \Vaxed Papers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

his invention relates to an apparatus for sealing waxed or paraflin wrappers and is ,designed with special reference to the wrapping of bread and the like. The great (16- sideratum in this kind of machine has been, not only to provide a cooling m'6 s which will remain cool in spite of its" lose connection with the heating means, but a cooling means which will not have a tendency to loosen the end folds of the packages to be sealed. The constructions hitherto employed to accomplish these results have proven ineiiicient. Either the cooling means as not remained cool enough, after the portion of thecooling the package is allow again brought into package.

The object of the invention, then, has been to produce an improved package scaling machine with provision for holding the folded ends of the package without relative motion between the folds of the package and the cooling means, and, also. to cause this cooling means to act intermittently. These and other objects apparent to one skilled in the art, are embodied in the construction herewith presented and are hereinafter described and particularly defined in the x or paratlin sufficiently to allow it to withstand the strain of g to resume their if the cooling means do remain suflicicntly cool for this purpose,- nevertheiess said cooling means have been so constructed that the sealing has been improperly performed. When the package to e sealed leaves the heaters and is thrust forward into the cooling sections, the wax a melted condition; the

wax on the outside of the folds coming into contact with the ,cold surface of the cooling means immediately congeals, causing the outside of the folds to adhere to the cooling original position, or,

means. Since the inner portions of the folds claims.

naturally do not cool so quickly as does the Other objects of the invention will be outside portion, which is in direct contact I more specifically pointed out and described with'the cooling means, it follows that the I hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine for sealing waxed wrappers constructed and operated in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same looking upwardly in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the table portion of the machine looking downwardly in Fig. 1.

Briefly, my apparatus comprises a suitable table or stand provided with means for a plying heat to the waxed wrapper as it is adhesion between the inside of the folds and the end of the package is not so strong or firm as that between the outside of the folds of the cooling means; and it does not become so until the inner portions of the folds attain the temperature of the outer portion. This cannot take place until-the lapse of a period of time longer than the package is allowed to remain in the position it occupies when first placed in the cooling means; conse uently, when the package is displaced, the force necessary to suitable means .loaf consists of a heating plate 10' cool the wrap packages of folded around the bread or other object in order to seal the joints and with meansfer applying pressure to the sealed joints of the wra per until the latter cools.

In the illustrated embodiment of the in vention my upper tus comprises a suitable table or bench which may be of any form or shape consistent with its purpose, having a top 5 supported by legs or standards 6 shown as united midway by horizontalrods 7 supporting a shelf 8. This table is provide with means for heating the bottom fold of the wrapper and also with heating and pressing means for the end folds. These two means are preferably separate although they may be combined if desired. The means employed for heating the edge of the paper which lies on the bottom of ithe we erably located in the center at one end of the table. This plate may be heated by any but as shown it is heated by electricity in the usual well known manner controlled by a switch 11. Arranged on one side of the plate 10 is a sheet 12 of metal or other suitable material, havin perforations 13, which sheet serves as a cooling means, to or alter the bottom has been scaled on the mating plate 10.

For the purpose of heating, sealing and coolin the-ends oi the ackage, I provide the 9 owing means: supported at some distance above the top of the table by standards 14: are two fiat parallel stri s 15 which serve as supports or guides fort e bread or other package, while the ends are being folded, sealed and cooled. Arranged on each side of the guides 1.5 is a heat-in plate 16 and. a cooling belt 1'3. The heating piates may be heated by electricity, as shown, 0] in any other suitable ,nrnner. The interior construction oi the heating plates is not shown in the drawings, as it is well known and constitutes no part of the invention. The electric current iasses thrc qli the wire 18 and is controlled by the seiteh 29. On one side the lates are each nrovidr? with a liaring gui 1e 19 to finish the folding operation as the bread is ad anced by hand to a position between the two plates. Each cooling belt 17 arranged upontne opposite side of the heating plates, is preteraol made of leather because it will not absor heat from the heating plates and is perforated in order to accelerate the cooling of the wrappers. Each belt is mounted on pulleys 20' rota tably mounted in a vertical ElateflZl supported by standards 22. The eating plates are each supported by a standard 28 and in order that the two sets of heatin plates and cooling belts may be moved to an from each other 111 order to regulate the distance between end thereby accommodate leaves or difierent dimensions, the standards 22 and. 23 of each set are secured to 11 movable 24 arranged in the top of the table. The monument of the two slides 24 is controlled by a right and left screw bar 25 operated by a handle 26, the screw bar being threaded through nuts 27 fastened to the underneath surfers oi each slide 24 and by turning the handle 26 the slides may he mo ed toward or away from each in order to decrease or increase the distance betweeii the two of heating plates and cooling rolls.

To illustrate the operation of my appsratus, I have shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 3, a loaf of bread 30 in various positions as it is manipulated during the course of a wrapping operation. Referring first to Fig. 3, the operator places a loaf 38 bottom side up noon a pile of Wrappers 31 which are secured in positis by a pin 32 set in an angle niece or edgeof the table. The free end, of theurappcr is then folded around. the loai which moved to the right separating the wrapper from the pin 32. in. thi movement the loa'i is turned over which pletos the Wrapping; and brings the left d edge of the sheet ill on the bottom of the loaf. f P the end of this movement the loaf upon the heating plate is both and allowed to remain there until loaf wrapped and (lia le, it. The then pushed from he heating; s e to the cooling sheet ll. During the period of time that the fl ains upon the heating plate, l rated and the wax softe ed so almil e t of the loaf suilicieni to seal the be torn joint, and this scaling is completed in! the cooling of the Wrapper on the she l. Flo far as this OPEITKIlO'al is unwary-rd l. found that the weight of the ion? ops-rel secure an eiieetive sealing since this on Wrapper not 5 ecteiz t mantial strain. From the cooling 1 another operator transfers the leaf the heating plates 16 and in doing so. he grasps the loaf with one hand on. each end, gathering in the sides of the wrapper on each end with the fingers and leasing: the buillOm of the wrapper extending; out'w orally, in this posh tion the leaf is lifted and pushed between the guides inf-such a position that rests on one side w en the sunriozrs l5 with the top of; the leaf toward the operator, as shown in 1. As the lost is cashed inwardly toward the heating plates 16, the guides 19 cause the ends of the wrapper to be folded up against the ends of the loaf and when it reaches the heating plates the wrap ping operation is completed. The leaf is allowed to remain between the heating plates until a second loaf is wrapned and is pushed into position between the plates thereby l forcing the'first lost forward between the i belts l'l'. This-operation continuoueand the the first loaf is gradually forced along the guides 15 as each additional loaf is wrapped and pushed between the heating plates. The latter are of a temperaturp sufiicient to melt the wax or paraflin on the wrapper and the end folds are thereby sealed and by the time the loaf has reached the end of the belts (i. e. the right hand side in Fig. 1) the wrapper has cooled and the folds are firmly bound together.

It is to be observed that one of the most important features of my invention is that the means for sealing the ends of the package are adjustable thereby permitting the apparatus to be instantly adapted for packages of different sizes. This feature also enables the operator to regulate the amount of pressure exerted upon the ends of the package by the heating sure exerting means. It is also to be noted that the pressure is continued until the wrapper is entirely cooled thereby insuring an absolute seal.

I have found that by the use of my apparatus the wrapping process is greatly accelcrated and the sealing of the packages absolutely insured. By employing leather belts I avoid all liability of heating the pressure exerting means, so that the wrapper on the package begins to cool as soon as it is pushed between the belts; At the same time it will be noticed that ntho manual labor required in applying the wrappers is reduced to the minimum.

It is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described but may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

'hat 1 claim is:-

1. An apparatus for sealing waxed or paraliin wrappers having a plurality of folds at the ends. comprising a wrapping table having means for heating the end folds of the wrapper while the same are in a folded position and engaging means moving Wll h the wrappers for exerting pressure upon said and folds to maintain them in a folded position until cooled.

2'. An apparatus for sealing waxed or paraliin wrappers having a plurality of folds at the ends comprising plates for heating the and folds of the wrappers and means in which there no relative motion between the wrappers and said end pressing means cud Folds until they haie cooled.

I). An apparatus for sealing waxed 0r paraiiin Wrappers liming a plurality of plates and the presplying heat to the end for exerting pressure upon said l l l l 4. An apparatus for sealing waxed 0r paraflin wrappers comprising means for heating the end folds of the wrappers under pressure and perforated cooling means moving with said wrappers and maintainin a continuous pressure upon said end fol s until the same have cooled.

5. An apparatus for sealing waxed or paraffin wrappers comprising two heated plates for heating the end folds of the wrappers, and perforated engaging means moving with the wrappers for exerting pressure u on said end folds for maintaining them in a folded position until cooled.

6. An apparatus for sealing waxed or paraffin wrappers comprising plates for supfolds of the packages to be sealed and perforated endless belts for maintaining pressure upon said folds by holding the ackages between said belts until the same ave cooled.

7. An apparatus for sealing waxed or paraflin wrappers comprising heating plates for meltin the wax or paraflinon the end folds of tEe Wrappers, movable means for exerting pressure upon said folds until the wax or paraffin thereon has congealed, comprising endless belts passing around r0- tatable pulleys placed in juxta osition to, and in alinement with, said heating plates.

8. An apparatus for sealing waxed or payafiin wrappers comprising a wrapping table having two heating plates and two perforated endless belts assing around ulleys placed in juxtaposition to and in a inement with, said heating plates, said endless belts and said heating lates being laterall adjustable to accommodate packages of di ferent sizes. I 106 9. An apparatus for sealing waxed 0r paraffin wrap e rs comprising two heated plates for heating the end folds of the wrappers, perforated engaging means moving with said wrappers for exerting continuous pressure upon said end folds until the same have cooled and means formoving the plates and the engaging means to and from each other in order to accommodate packages of different sizes. 1

10. An apparatus for sealing waxed or paraffin wrappers comprising two slides movable to and from each other to regulate the distance between. each of said slides being provided with means for heat- J20 ing the folds on one end of said wrapper and with means moving with said wrapper for maintaining a continuous pressure upon the folds on one end of said wrapper until the same have cooled.

11. An apparatus for sealing waxed or paraffin wrappers comprising two slides movable to and from each other to regulate the distance between them. each of said slides being provided with a plate for heat- 130 ing the folds on one end of said wrapper' witnesses, this the twenty-ninth day of Sepand with an endless belt moving with said tember, 1918 wrapper for maintaining a continuous pres- ROBERT FRIEND.

sure upon the folds on one end of said 5 wrapper until the same have cooled; 1

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set' my 0 m F, Rmmmaox, hand in the presence of two subscribing E. F. UNIAO. 

